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Travel + Writing = Meg

What to do in Colonia in the Winter

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Visa run time. This was my 4th trip to Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay (count ’em) and luckily for me, by far the best. I finally decided to spend the night in this colonial Portuguese-Spanish port town and convinced Roberto to come with me. But winter is not Colonia’s best side, because hanging out on the beach is just not as fun with a freezing cold, river wind blowing in your face. So what is there to do?

1. Buy Sheepskin Slippers

Centralized heating is basically non-existent in Argentina and Uruguay. And by that I mean any building built before 1980 is colder inside than outside on a grey winter day. It sucks.

The best way to keep your little toesies warm is to invest 200 Uruguayan pesos (about $1o USD) in a pair of sheepskin slippers typical to Colonia. They are amazingly soft and delightful. Best place to buy them is the Feria Artesanal, which sells them for about 30% less than in the tourist traps in the Old Town.

2. Take Pictures

For tourists Colonia is not much more than a relaxing getaway for those seeking refuge from the choas of Buenos Aires. But it is pretty. And after four visits I can still spend the majority of the afternoon walking around, practicing my photography skills. Because taking pictures in Colonia with it’s blue sky and colonial architecture is good for the soul.

3. Drink Beer

Do your own tasting menu and buy three liters of Dunkel, Ambar and/or Weisse.

Drinking in the Metric System + Uruguay = Fun.

4. Sit by the Fire

When Sunday rolls in with coldness, grey clouds and sprinkles of rain, the only thing to do is to find the closest chair by the fireplace and claim it as your own. Throw in some mate and that book you’ve always been meaning to read (for me Love in the Time of Cholera in Spanish) and you are set for the afternoon.

5. Stay at Sur Hostel

Homey, very chill and with a decent breakfast (toast, cereal, fruit and dulce de leche) – this was a great hostel. The kind of place where you can randomly chat up a Norwegian, Kiwi and a Chilean while listen to the hostel staffs’ stories about taking Greyhound buses in the US.